The Guilty Will Know Agony
by Tri-Color
Summary: While attempting to find the person who ordered the death of his village, Varus is captured. Demacia's Final Spark is tasked with rescuing the Arrow of Retribution and, more importantly, stopping Noxus from getting his power. Very irregular updates, but still being worked on.
1. Chapter 1

"The guilty will know agony"

Lux rolled her eyes at the murmuring of the man beside her. The strange man never said two words outside of the battlefield, but get him in here and suddenly he couldn't stop talking about how short his life was and how much pain he was going to cause.  
Varus was mostly unaware of the young woman next to him. His lilac eyes searched for the hint of a target, aided by the markings of the Owl. He wanted this to be over quickly, for tonight he was heading to Noxus. Tonight he had a real target.  
The match itself went extremely well, Varus' eagerness translating into being ruthless in chasing down his opponents. Though, Lux reflected, it was aggravating that the man had been so reckless. The number of times he had almost been killed was only so low because of her prismatic barrier coming between him and several kill shots.

Not that she would get any thanks for it. As soon as their match was over the Arrow of Retribution scuttled off. Lux rolled her eyes again, seriously? Not even a single thank you? She did her best to shake her irritation off and lit her face with her biggest smile. Her fans were out there, after all. She would return to the palace and share her victory with her brother. Maybe she would at least get a few words of praise from him.

_Now?_  
Images of blood, and of rending flesh from bone. Images of a small body held in his arms while he wept. Varus saw images of a strange man with a crow on his shoulder, of a master tactician who was pushing Noxus forward in his image.

Varus shook his head and ground out a harsh "Not yet".

Pallas was excited, urging its host forward in the promise of actually killing again. They had been with the League for so long, it was beginning to wonder if they were ever going to taste real blood again.  
Varus had been following a paper trail for quite some time. Documents held by various champions and higher ups that he had stolen or taken from corpses. He finally had a name. He finally knew whom it was that had given the order to attack his village.  
Swain. The man had obviously wanted the power of Pallas for himself. Part of Varus could see the logic: The man was badly crippled and, if nothing else, Pallas would have given him new legs.

Actually, Pallas would have taken his old legs. The difference between the two statements was like night and day. The substance that formed his lower torso and legs looked like cords of muscle and usually did as he bade. The claws that now formed his feet were not his. Nor were the clawed hands that sat at the end of his arms. They usually did as they were told. His control was strong after years of denying the spirit that was slowly consuming him. However, even a single moment of relaxing his tight hold meant that someone was killed. Pallas, it seemed, had a hunger for destruction that would never be sated.

* * *

They moved towards the great entrance to Noxus, wearing a long cloak and a hood that covered his face. He approached the gate, surrounding himself with civilians coming home from watching the games today. He felt some satisfaction when he heard the two in front of him complaining about Draven's poor performance. Varus had personally put an arrow between the Executioner's eyes three different times.

_Now?_  
Surrounded by Noxians. Surrounded by the enemy! The images of putting an arrow through the pair in front of him had a strange tinge of hope to them. Varus quelled the rising blood lust. He could kill civilians later, on the way out. For now, they had to wait until they could get into the city.  
Honestly, as long as Swain died, Varus wasn't sure if he wanted to leave the city. With the man dead would his quest for vengeance be complete?  
Would he finally join Theshan and his wife? Was he truly even human enough to reach the resting place of his ancestors anymore?

He knew, deep within himself, that his lapse of control had condemned him forever. His body would not truly know a natural death. His desire for revenge meant it would be consumed by Pallas. Not even the clever Owl could save him from eventually becoming a spectator in his own body.  
The crowd passed into the city, so different from Ionia. This place reeked of death and corruption. Worse, the people of Noxus took pride in their filth. Took pride that innocents had died in the city's pursuit of power.  
Soon, he thought to his partner. Soon you will revel in their blood.  
The membrane that kept his bow inside his arm quivered in pleasure and he closed his hand into a fist. Even after all these years, the alien feelings were sometimes still too much for him.

Getting into the city was easy part, now he had to get to master tacticians quarters. He had memorized a map of the city beforehand, and used this to navigate streets of houses with some appearance of confidence. This city did not have a palace the way that Demacia did. The headquarters of the Noxian Command was less ostentatious but no less intimidating. The brick building loomed several stories high, thick glass windows glaring at any who would dare look inside.

Getting to Swain would be significantly more difficult than getting into Noxus had been. Varus moved around the back of the building and found what looked to be an entrance to the cellars. Pallas made quick work of the lock on the doors, crushing it with a disconcerting eagerness to please. Varus slid down the steps and closed the door behind him. The cellar was dry and cool. Racks upon racks of wine made up most of the area and everything was spotless. Apparently, Swain kept a clean house. It was now late in the evening, after the champions have returned from the games. He heard no noise coming from the doorway at the top of a flight of stairs and so he proceeded forward.

So used was he to dealing with champions that he was almost surprised at how quickly the two Noxian guards dropped in the entryway. The force of his arrows was so great that the two almost seem to pop. He avoided stepping in the pools of blood as he made his way forward, though a tendril moved away from his leg and lapped some up. It was almost as if Pallas was testing the texture and quality of his prey. His feet made no noise as he moved onward and upward through the building. Varus suspected that if Swain were to be found here it would be in the highest room. It felt fitting for the man. However, that didn't mean that Varus couldn't kill anyone that got in his way in the meantime. He had yet to come across any of the Noxian champions, but he had accumulated a small body count as he made his way.

He finally found a young man who had stuttered out the directions to Swain's room with the promise of mercy. Varus had been right, the strange mage resided several flights above them. The surprised look of hurt on the man's face while Varus smothered him under corrupted flesh seemed to make Pallas purr. Images of great beasts relishing their meals and an image of a young child humming in delight around a piece of sweetbread filled his mind.  
Sometimes, Varus wished the spirit would just talk instead of using its strange method of communication.

As he started to approach the master tactician's door a flash of sickly green magic filled his vision, forcing him to his knees. Swain's piercing eyes were the last thing Varus saw before dark magic knocked him out.  
It had all been so, terribly, easy.


	2. Chapter 2

The beauty stood before Jarvan, a smirk on her face, as her hand turned the crystal gems in her scepter. Garen stood threateningly before his prince, glaring at one of the more powerful Noxian mages.

"Why are you here, witch?" he growled, ready to defend his prince.

Though, these days it was strange for any hostilities to be displayed outside of the League. Still, better safe than sorry, especially with one as old and treacherous as LeBlanc.  
The Deceiver stared past Garen, uninterested in him. To one so old and undying as she, he was but a pawn made of ash. No, tonight she was interested in more important pieces.

"I have come to inform you that a certain Ionian is in need of rescue and I think it would be quite profitable for you to ensure that such a thing happens".

Jarvan's eyebrows rose in mild disbelief, "While we have no quarrel with the Ionians, why do you not bring this information to them? We have no interest in losing good people, good fighters, to go and save someone who is not Demacian".

LeBlanc chuckled, "See that is your problem, good Prince: so shortsighted. Though", at this she turned to the side and chuckled,  
"I suppose one with such a short lifespan would not be able to see far anyways. The Ionian I speak of is the Arrow of Retribution, Varus".

Those sitting in the courtroom turned to each other with confused looks. Yes, the man was technically Ionian, but after he had taken in the strange corruption that he had once guarded the Ionians had, at best, been frosty.

"What do we care of Varus?" Jarvan queried.

"Well, you see, my good _friend_ Jericho has finally figured out how to wrest that spirit from Varus. He intends to take it for himself and, while Swain is already a perfectly capable sorcerer, a spirit of destruction would make him" she took an almost dramatic pause and tisked in annoyance,  
"far more powerful than he already is".

Garen spoke up again, "And why would one of his allies want to stop him from that, witch? Why should we believe your story, it is surely a trap!"  
He turned to Jarvan, "Your highness, I implore you! Have this woman tossed form the city, she is clearly wasting our time".

Jarvan simply held up a hand and gave his subject a dark look. It was enough to quell the larger man's ire and have him look down, cowed.

Leblanc glared at Garen,"You need to have your dogs better trained, Prince" She gave Jarvan a cold look.  
"Swain is already mentally and magically more superior to most in Noxus. Giving him the physical superiority that that spirit might provide would simply create an imbalance of power that I am not willing to allow in my city"

The crystals around her staff and the brooch in her hair glowed darkly, almost as if to match her mood. Perhaps it was her rising anger, causing her power to leak. The court shifted nervously. As if tasting their fear a smile etched it's way back onto LeBlanc's face. When she was sure she had their attention she continued, her voice low and rich:

"The poor Ionian fool was captured a few days ago. He is being held until Swain has the time to prepare the ceremonies needed. It would be in your best interest to free him before Swain gets his hands on him at all. Who knows what will be done to sedate that poor, stupid man?"

Jarvan sat forward, "Why should we trust you LeBlanc?"

She let out a pious huff of air and turned on her heel. "You don't have to trust me, Prince. You can ignore what I have told you. The Arrow of Retribution can die, as I suspect he will do when the spirit is taken from him. Swain will no longer be a cripple. Imagine how much more dangerous he will be in the games, when he comes fully prepared in mind, magic and body? Truly, what will stop him from simply cementing his power in Noxus and coming to knock on your door?"  
She took her cloak and wrapped it around herself, let out a call of "I bid you adieu" and vanished.

Jarvan sat back and seemed to contemplate for a few moments. Then he turned to Garen,  
"Bring me your sister, we have some things to discuss"

Garen seemed to barely hold his protests back, biting his lip. He could not, would not, say anything disrespectful to his prince. Not here, not in court. Not ever. He bowed and turned towards his sister's quarters, where he was fairly certain she would be studying. He prayed that Jarvan did not truly intend what Garen suspected. He prayed his sister would not be going to Noxus.

* * *

**Hey readers, any and all feedback is very much appreciated. I'm not 100% sure where I'm going with this story, but it's been a plot bunny in the back of my head for a couple of months. I hope you enjoy it.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Warning: There's some physical violence in this chapter. This story is a work in progress. Any and all comments or suggestions are very much appreciated.**

* * *

Garen was beyond irate. Typical of his sister to disappear exactly when he needed to talk to her. She was not in her room, in the training halls or the library. Honestly, if he discovered that she was out galavanting in the market, as he suspected she was, then he was going to shake some sense into her. Eventually she had to learn that she had responsibilities. Seeing as their parents had failed so remarkably to impress that upon her, it was clearly up to Garen to do it.  
Garen waded through the throngs of people, his stony expression stopping any of the common folk from calling out to the hero. The Might of Demacia stood head and shoulders above everyone in the market, scanning for a spark of blond hair and listening intently for his sister's voice. She wasn't here either. He was coming close to cursing, though his father's voice echoed in his head 'The Crownguards are a noble family, boy. Nobles do not curse.'.  
There was no way Luxanna would be at their parents' home, but Garen was quickly running out of places to look. Much as he was loathe to, he knew he would have to return to his Prince's side quite soon. Returning in failure would be embarrassing, but perhaps Jarvan would take pity on him. He could hardly be expected to keep with the whims of a silly teenager, could he?

The court herald announced his entrance and Garen froze at the sight of his sister kneeling in front of their Prince. Jarvan's eyes met his and a single eyebrow rose. The subtle rebuke added to the flames and Garen bowed before taking his place by his Prince's side.

"I obey, Your Highness, I will make preparations and depart immediately", Luxanna intoned before rising off of her bent knee and heading towards her rooms.  
As she moved past him, Garen noted that she was not wearing her usual attire. Perhaps he had failed to notice her because of it. The mistake did not help to soothe his ire, in truth it only made it grow. Could his sister not be more consistent? Now he would have to answer for his folly, while she traipsed off to Noxus for who knew how long?

Jarvan turned to the seething Might of Demacia and motioned him closer.

"A seventeen year old eluding you, Garen? My friend, I believe you are losing your touch", if Jarvan's smirk was anything to go by then the comment was merely in jest.

Garen forced out a small laugh, "Apologies, your Highness, I assure you it was not my wit but her whim that can be blamed for the delay"

Jarvan chuckled, "She is young, such is the way of things. Ah," he reached for a scroll that was resting by his arm, "I seem to have forgotten to give this to your sister"

As Jarvan motioned for a servant to come over, Garen quickly laid a hand on the missive.

"If it would please your Highness, I can give it to her. I would like to give her a few words before she leaves"

Jarvan nodded and Garen was once more traipsing along after his sister.

* * *

Lux set her newly repaired armour on its stand. After the last League match it had been particularly scratched and dented, so she had gone to the smith to get it repaired.  
Unfortunately, now it seemed she would be making a trip to Noxus. Well, she considered, not a trip. Trip implied that it would be pleasant, and if what Jarvan said was true then this would be more aggravating than anything else.  
Seriously, how that idiot managed to get captured was beyond her. He didn't even have any business being in Noxus. She rolled her eyes. Varus wasn't exactly subtle. He probably went into a rage and started killing people. Then Grand General Swain decided enough was enough and now Lux had to go clean up the mess.  
"Typical men", she muttered as she placed her least ostentatious staff next to her travel pack. The staff she used in the games was ridiculous, hardly suitable for any kind of discretion.

A pounding at the door made the girl jump and whirl to face it. As she started to call for whomever it was to enter the door opened. Her brother maneuvered his way into her room and slammed the door shut. Before she could open her mouth to comment on his rudeness, his hand was wrapped around her forearm.

"How dare you leave me to be embarrassed by your whimsy", he hissed.

His grip was tightening on her arm quickly, Lux pulled backwards but could not move an inch in his grip. His hand easily held her, almost reaching her elbow.

"I didn't know you were looking for me, how was I supposed to know?" She grit out. She could feel her bones bending under the pressure of his hand.

He leaned closer, blue eyes flashing with rage, "What did father tell you? You are to be predictable, a common factor, when you are in this palace. What were you doing that was so important? Why could I not find you?"

He released her, pushing her back so she sat on her bed. He could not rise to his full height in this room, but he still towered over her. A bruise was already forming on her bare arm and Lux glared up at the man.

"I was getting my armour repaired, Garen. Get out, I have to leave for my mission", she spat at him.

For a moment he was vaguely reminded of a cornered kitten, hissing and spitting with her hair all frizzed up.  
He tossed the crumpled scroll at her and turned to leave,

"May you return home successful, Sister". While he did not say it, the rest of the statement was clear: "Succeed, or do not return at all".

With a flick of her wrist the door slammed shut behind him with a blast of magic. She rose off the bed and locked her door, before the man decided that he had not given her enough warning about her behaviour. She was still for a moment, tracing the darkening skin on her arm. At least it was not her right arm, part of her reflected. Rather than waste energy on a glamour she went over to her closet and withdrew a long sleeved tunic.  
Her suit of armour caught her eye and she pulled the new shirt over her head. Her murderous glare was accompanied with a shot of unintentional magic. The surface of the metal bubbled and deformed under her gaze. With a small cry she grabbed her staff and slammed it against the buckling metal.

Later, the servants would come to clean Miss Crownguards room and find the melted suit, damaged beyond repair and scorch marks everywhere. It was not the first time such damage had occurred in the girl's room. The pair cleaned the room as best they could and sent the pile of metal down to the smithy with a request for new armour.  
It wouldn't do for the Lady to be without her costume in the next games, after all.


	4. Chapter 4

The scroll her brother had so kindly given to her contained directions to go to one of the many portals the League had set up in the Institution. She would pay the guardsman and take a one-way trip to Noxus. This way she could get into the city undetected. Unfortunately, the way back was not so simple. Noxian rules on the teleport pads were far stricter that the Institutions. Logs were kept of all outgoing traffic and the wards were extremely strong. If time wasn't of the essence, she could probably work her way through them without setting off an alarm, but Jarvan had stressed expediency. Lux hurried toward the Institution, wringing her wrist out and cursing her brother's temper. She hoped that she got to Varus in time, it sounded like Swain's plans for the man were quite lethal.

* * *

Red eyes glittered with contempt as Swain's fingers moved in complex patterns, positions runes around the Ionian just so. Varus was stretched out on the floor of the wine cellar, now cleared for Swain's convenience. Sitting at the center of a complex magic circle, Varus played the part of a fly caught in Swain's web. Soon the man would be drained dry and Swain would truly be powerful enough to claim Noxus.

"You simple-minded fool, I was not even in a position of command during the Noxian invasion of Ionia, all those years ago. I laid a pretty trail and you were good enough to follow"

Really, the fact that the Ionian hadn't bothered to check facts was almost insulting to Swain. He never would have done anything so overt as attacking Ionia the way his predecessors had.  
Varus flushed in shame. His arms and legs were bound with toxic energy, feeling his energy slowly being sapped away. Was this truly how his journey would end?

The Noxian grand general fell silent and went about checking the binding circle. Pallas was starting to thrash, panicked images of a hermit crab being pulled form it's shell flushed through Varus' mind. It took every piece of control he had to stop himself from screaming as his limbs started to unfold into writhing tendrils. He didn't want to give the bastard the satisfaction of Varus' pain.  
What had passed as bones and muscle now more closed resembled ooze turning in death throws. The slime seemed to be gripping onto Varus as it was pulled, slowly but surely, from his form.

Varus was dimly aware of the sound of a door opening and Swain's angry yelling.  
A burst of light corresponded with the bursting of blood vessels, the places where his forearms had been began gushing blood. Pallas' anguished scream was a faint echo in his mind, darkness creeping in along the edges of his vision.

Lux spoke with LeBlanc's voice, telling Swain that he was not to go through with the ritual. The man seemed to believe her illusion, screaming at her in wordless fury as opposed to just attacking her. As he raised a hand to strike her she stunned him with a burst of light, knocking the surprised mage out. Lux was no fool. The victory was extremely shallow. She knew she had only been able to best the man because he had not been expecting LeBlanc to be using light magic.  
She had probably given herself away, which meant they had to get out before Swain woke up.  
Without Swain sustaining the magic of the separation ritual Pallas snapped back onto Varus. Both man and spirit seemed to gasp in relief as flesh fused together and blood flow became regular again.

"Why?" He groaned as the strange witch pulled him to his feet and started to hurry away from the ritual circle.

It was lucky that Pallas was in the mood to cooperate, the demon limbs supporting their charge where the small woman could not have.

The voice that came out of her lips belonged to someone much younger than LeBlanc, "I'll explain later, we have to go now!"

* * *

The night was dark as the pair made their way toward the gate. LeBlanc threw her cloak over the wounded man and abruptly stopped them.

"We must make it appear as if nothing is amiss, do not rush. Stay behind me, let me do the talking" she hissed in his ear before rising to her full height and strutting toward the gate.

Pallas pushed thoughts of stalking shadows and figures lost in a crowd, as if to agree with the sorceress. It was the push Varus needed to move behind her, bowing his head and shambling along. He felt cold all over, doing his best to stave off the shock of losing and regaining his limbs. He gritted his teeth in pain and rose to his full height. If he was to guarantee his revenge he would have to escape and recover. Perhaps the institute would heal him in time to play in his next match. It would certainly be better than a natural recovery.  
They were not stopped at the gate, only reverent greetings given to his companion as they passed through. The pair made their way past the teleport pads, LeBlanc giving the confused guards a disdainful glare. The guards quickly looked away, not eager to earn the wrath of the Deceiver.

* * *

**Any and all feedback is very much appreciated. It's going to be a while between posting chapters, my brain isn't cooperating. However, I'm going to do my best to finish this story.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A little bit of background. I was given a challenge by a friend to write a piece of Varus/Lux fanfiction. I really couldn't imagine them having a romantic relationship... Given that Varus doesn't have a body below his belly button and that she's young enough to be his daughter... This story is going to run until they reach Demacia, in any case. Thank you so much for reading, any and all comments are appreciated.**

* * *

Lux waited until they had been walking for a good fifteen minutes into the dense forest before dropping her glamour. The man behind her took stock,

"What now?"

Lux almost laughed, no thanks. Of course.

"Now, we walk a little further and then we sleep. I, for one, am exhausted" she bit out before turning and continuing on.

The cache would be close by, and the area around it was heavily warded. She hoped the Demacian spy network had kept it maintained in her absence.  
The rocky outcrop that hid the supplies felt a little bit like coming home to Lux. She tossed the solitary bed roll out of the storage compartment in the purple man's direction.  
"I'll take first watch, get some sleep" she ordered curtly. She started taking inventory of the supply bag. They had been maintaining her standards on emergency caches, excellent. Lux would have to file a resupply request when she got back to Demacia.  
She couldn't help the feeling that his eyes were tracking her movement, even though you couldn't tell from looking at him. Stupid blank eyes, lacking pupils for her to keep track of. When she finally met his gaze he moved to sit in front of her.

"I require some answers" the gravelly voice broke her from her musing.

"Thirty seven, double rainbow, Demacia", she tossed back at him. His unimpressed look matched hers. "You said you wanted answers"

"Yes, why are you here? Now that I have been liberated, are you returning to Demacia or am I simply a prisoner under a new warden?"

Lux sighed and her fingers carved a harsh path through her hair. "I am to escort you to the Demacian court, to meet with his Highness Prince Jarvan IV. Once we have been debriefed I am sure you will be allowed to return to the Institute of War and continue on as you were. Preferably", at this she shot him a particularly cold look, "you will not return to Noxus in another foolish attempt to get yourself killed"

The strange limbs spasmed and a growl grated from the Ionian's throat. He rose from his spot on the ground and laid down on the sleeping roll she had left. Apparently his curiosity had been sated, or she had offended him enough to make him leave her alone. Either way, Lux was left to catch her breath.

* * *

Varus' eyes opened before she had the chance to touch him. Lux recoiled slightly, those all lilac eyes seemed to see everything and nothing. It was more than a little bit weird.  
"It's your turn to watch, I need to sleep" she whispered.

They had no fire, too risky this close to Noxus, the shadows only adding to Varus' strange appearance. He nodded and rose from the unopened bedroll. They only had the one that Lux had found in the supply stash. She gratefully slipped inside, enjoying the warm from him sleeping on it. It wasn't anywhere close to winter yet, but the night was chilly.

Varus moved to sit against the outcrop of rocks Lux had previously occupied. The girl had been ordered by Jarvan to go and rescue him. He had yet to truly understand why. He was tempted to leave her, simply make his own way to the institute. If she was found this close to Noxus there might be some question as to why, but surely nobody knew that it was her who had broken him out?

No, he had seen her stunning Swain. The man would know of Demacia's little light and her tricks. He seemed to know everything three steps ahead of anyone else.  
No, Varus decided, he was not going to thank the young woman by leaving her alone while she slept. He may request that they part ways when closer to Demacia, but if Prince Jarvan had given her orders to bring Varus to the court then he suspected she would fight to keep him close. He sneered into the darkness. 'Anything for the glory of Demacia', a dangerous attitude for anyone to have. Particularly for a powerful mage such as she. The city-state was known for war, almost as power hungry as their Noxian counterparts. More so, perhaps, because Demacia did not have the inner struggles that Noxus did. It would be a dark day when the Institute no longer gave the continent peace.

Whimpering sounds coming from her bedroll interrupted his musings, it seemed that the Little Light was dreaming. Though, from the thrashing it seemed more like a nightmare. He rose and walked over to wake her. Her face was pulled into a frown and she shook slightly as another whimper left her mouth. Mindful of his claws, he reached forward and shook her shoulder lightly.

"Miss Crownguard, wake up"

She sat up with a gasp and started pushing him away. There was blind fear in her eyes and he retreated for a moment in the hopes she would realize he was not her enemy.

"Varus? I… what's going on?" she looked wildly around as if expecting an attack.

"You were dreaming quite loudly, Luxanna. I do not wish to alert anyone to our presence, so I woke you" he shifted and rose to return to his post. Lux's eyes widened and her hand shot out to stop him.

"Wait!" now she was blushing. It had seemed so real, the rows of teeth shredding her while she struggled helplessly.

Rarely did she get assigned to fight with any of the champions from the Void, but it always gave her nightmares when she did. Usually she could not return to sleep after such dreams, usually didn't want to. However, she needed to be rested for their trek tomorrow.

"Would you keep watch over here, please?" She wouldn't give him the reason why. He probably already thought she was a weak little girl, given how young she was. She didn't need to give him more reasons to think so.

Varus nodded his acquiescence and sat down next to the bedroll with his legs crossed. He was often plagued with his own nightmares, even before his town had been invaded. The whispering from the Pit of Pallas were normally temptations of power. It had also occasionally used threats, horrible visions that followed him in sleep. His wife had sat up with him, on those nights. She had occasionally called herself the guardian of the guardian. He had always somberly replied that her position was far more important than his own.

As she lay back down and attempted to go back to sleep he felt a familiar twitch of sadness. Theshan would only have been a few years younger than her. Perhaps, instead of Varus entering the games it could have been Theshan. He shook the thought off and returned his attention to the quiet night.


	6. Chapter 6

The Guilty Will Know Agony

Hey all,  
In this chapter Varus mentions the language of the ancient Ionians. I took a little bit of creative liberty and decided to call it Minoan. What can I say? I like ancient history in the Greek areas.

* * *

The first few days of walking were spent almost completely in silence. It was only broken when the pair were accosted by an extremely irate and extremely large wolverine. It reminded Lux of the giant wolves found in the Summoner's Rift, two heads coming off of the neck. A strange green liquid was frothing from its mouths and Varus concluded that it would unwise for either of them to get bitten. Lux rolled her eyes when he said as much and drew her staff.

"I don't get hit", she called back cheerfully.

True to her word, the young woman dodged in and out of the enraged creature's mouths. While she almost danced around, firing off shots of magic, Varus lined up his shot. He wanted this over quickly, watching the girl nearly get bitten was causing his heart to clench.

"Demacia!" She cried in victory, letting off a bolt of light. However, before it could hit the beast a demonic arrow flew past and took it down. Lux rounded on Varus with sudden fury.

"Kill steal! I had it covered, you purple jerk!"

The man behind her looked confused, his bow slithering back into his palm. Lux couldn't stop the shudder of revulsion. Shouldn't that hurt?

"This is not the League, we just had to kill it. Why does it matter who completed the deed?"

Lux bristled, "It was my kill! You do it when we lane together too!"

Varus didn't have pupils or irises, but she was certain he was rolling his eyes.

"As long as we continue moving forward to the nexus I do now see how it matters"

Lux shook her head. Of course he didn't understand. He didn't have to live up to the noble name of Crownguard. Varus didn't have anything to prove by being in the games.

"I was unaware it was important to you, miss Crownguard. I will endeavor to avoid 'stealing your kills'"

She sniffed and turned away with a flick of her hair. The victory felt like ash on her tongue but she kept walking anyway. Maybe now she would get more kills when they were together. It would give her family less to be disappointed with.

Varus followed the young girl. He and Pallas had been together for long enough that he never considered that he fought alone anymore. Even before that, he was honored as the best warrior in Ionia when he was chosen to guard Pallas. Clearly this little light still needed to prove herself, though to whom he was unsure. Being accepted by the summoners was a great honor in itself.

His stomach had begun to feel tight and his throat constricted. Was he actually feeling guilty about offending her? He was used to the pervasive, ever present guilt for his failure those years ago. The weight was part of him. This was different, urging him to go and make amends.

He caught up so that they were walking together. They stayed close to the side of the road, in case they had to quickly hide from any Noxians looking for them.  
In an attempt to distract himself from the strange feeling of guilt he spoke,

"You study magic?"

She looked at him in surprise. It was the first time he had tried to start a conversation since she had met him.

"Yeah, lots of different subjects, not just magic", she tried to sound casual.

Even Varus could hear the edge of excitement in her voice at the prospect of talking about her research. He had very little knowledge, but there was some he could recall.

"For a time I studied my people's history before I became… how I am now"

Lux's ears perked. That had almost sounded like a personal detail about the strange man. The other Ionians didn't talk about Varus. Whatever he had done to get his powers was bad enough that they refused to even speak about him.

"Ionian history? We have so little about it in the Demacian libraries. Apparently they keep it all in scrolls in a long forgotten language" her gaze went off into the distance, "No one in Demacia knows how to read them. What I wouldn't give to get access to all that knowledge!"

Varus' mouth quirked upwards, it was almost a smile. The Ionians guarded their past jealously.

"Much of those scrolls are about ethics and laws. Lessons passed down, that we may learn from our ancestors mistakes. I would approach Ezreal with a request. He may be open to teaching you Minoan and find a way for you to access their records"

He and Pallas both jerked in surprise when the young woman latched onto his arm. Her excited squeals of 'do you think so?' were lost to the ringing in his ears.  
She was touching them. One hand wrapped around his bicep, the other his forearm.

The chords of dark muscles twitched and Lux looked down. The substance felt almost like reptilian skin and very warm under her hand. Half of her brain idly pondered how his body maintained homeostasis. The other half was directing blood to her cheeks. She nearly jumped backwards,

"I apologize, that was very forward. I just got so excited…" she trailed off when she saw that he was looking at his arm instead of listening to her.  
"Are you okay? I didn't mean to offend" she was getting quieter with each word. He finally shook himself and started walking again.

"There was no offence, miss Crownguard" his voice was gruff.

Images of his wife in his arms, of Theshan lifted onto his shoulders flashed into his head. It had been an age. Pallas seemed similarly disturbed, conveying so with the feeling of stepping into too cold water and flesh being devoured by bugs.

Ancestors, Varus wished the spirit would just talk. He cleared his throat and tried to change the subject.

"Your illusion magic is quite impressive. Even Pallas was fooled when you came for us."

Lux ran through the long list of dignitaries, nobles and League combatants in her head.

"I do not know of a Pallas"

Varus looked at her as if she had two heads. He motioned to his arm and legs.

"The spirit that aids me, I had thought the most brilliant of Demacia would know that"

She bristled at his implication but couldn't quell her curiosity. There was very little known about Ionia, less so about Varus himself. Perhaps in their few weeks of travel she could gain information. She might be able to find something tactically valuable to bring the spy masters.

"Demacia knows very little about Ionia, as I said before. So your arms and legs are where the spirit stays?"

He paused, considering how much he should tell her. His secrets were of a personal matter but he doubted that the Demacians would stoop to dark magics to gain the power of Pallas.

"No, I am slowly being consumed by it, it is the price I pay for its power"

Lux gave the man a look over. Not even half a man, if what he said was true.

"Why did the Noxians capture you? His Highness didn't say"

"They captured me because I was attempting to murder Swain"

It wasn't a secret. Now that the man himself knew that Varus was out for his blood he didn't see the point in hiding it. His expression darkened and his lip curled into a snarl, "he was expecting me… I failed"

When his statements were met with silence he glanced over. Lux's eyes were bugging out of her head.  
"You tried to kill the grand general of Noxus?!" She finally squeaked, "are you nuts? The political vacuum in Noxus is already making our peace unstable! You can't just kill Jericho Swain!"

He frowned in confusion at her outburst.

"I do not care about his position, only his death at my hands".

She gasped as claws wrapped around her forearm. She looked into pale eyes and a snarling face.

"The guilty will know agony. Someone took them from me. Someone must pay. They will all pay for what they have done. I do not care who gets in my way."

"Beware a man with nothing to lose?" She taunted back at him. He flinched and pulled back.

"You cannot possibly understand", he growled, before stalking off.

Lux threw her hands up and rolled her eyes, mindful that he didn't notice. Maybe the reason the Ionians didn't bother with Varus was because of his one track mind. The sooner they got back to Demacia, the better.


	7. Chapter 7

The cool metal felt almost soothing against his neck. The pressure being put on the blade was light enough to be threatening. No, it was light enough to be a promise of things to come.

"Is that fear I smell?"

A female voice spoke in his ear. Much lower than Luxanna's bright tone, Varus noted. His eyes shifted as far as they could and he made out striking red hair.

"Katarina, it's almost been a week. Is this really the speed of Noxus' finest assassin?"

Yes, he was hoping to distract her. Pallas was fuming, sending images of ripping the woman to shreds. It wanted to taste her blood. _Needed_ to taste it. They had taken great pleasure in shooting down the Sinister Blade during matches, but to truly kill her would be exquisite. Not only that, but the spirit had a certain distaste for being captured.  
Varus was fighting the urge, however. Demacia's Little Light had been so aggravated by his desire to kill Swain that he wondered if he would further incur her wrath by killing this woman.

"The Grand General ordered me to bring you back alive, says you two have unfinished business" Katarina growled.

She paused for a moment, reaching to grab a pair of cuffs from her pouch.

"Though, the General did not give a reason for why you were there in the first place. Care to enlighten me, filth? Why is it that I'm not killing you right now?"

Of course Swain would not reveal his plans. The man was well known for being a tactician, which meant that this woman was probably a pawn with too much power. Had the general sent her here to capture him, or sent her here to die?  
As he felt the bite of cuffs starting to lock the assassin froze. Light was emanating from her and Varus casually stepped around the blade. Turning to face the enraged woman Varus couldn't help the smirk that grew on his face. She was bound with light magic.

"Let me _enlighten_ you, Noxian scum. You're not killing him because I said so"

Really, did the girl need to sound so smug? Lux plucked the cuffs out of Katarina's frozen hands and proceeded to use them on their owner, forcing her hands behind her back. Another quick cast of binding light stopped the woman from being able to move and Lux started to divest her of her equipment.

"Blades, rations, a bed roll… Oh! Poisons! Excellent. I guess I'll have some antidote research to do once I get back, how kind of you Katarina" Lux simpered, playing up the gratitude until it was almost nauseating.

Katarina spat on the ground, "Demacian! By the strength of Noxus, I will not suffer this insolence!" The red head started to struggle as the light around her faded, only to freeze when she noticed a corrupted arrow being casually aimed at her.

Lux glanced over at Varus and smirked before going back to the woman's pack.  
"Nothing else of interest here, too bad. Were you only expecting one person, Katarina? Seems like the General sent you here on a rather futile mission, wonder if he was hoping you would be killed?"

Luxanna's light tone, one that was almost mocking, was a shock to Varus. She never acted this way in the games, always seeming naïve and jovial. Even in the last few days she had been nothing but pleasant. It seemed, the cursed pair noted, that the Little Light had claws under her gloves. Katarina did not appear shocked; seemingly unsurprised that Swain might send her on a suicide mission. It was strange, Varus thought, wouldn't Swain try to keep one of his best assassins alive?  
Pallas twitched, and Varus pressed down on the spirit. If Swain wanted Katarina dead, then it would not do to oblige him.

Luxanna did not seem to share his thoughts. She seemed to be preparing to attack the bound woman and flinched when a claw grabbed her shoulder to stop her. Her eyes were cold, little chips of fury that turned on him.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, "This is a Noxian. Don't you kill Noxians?"

The thought that came into her head next was definitely not her own. It was the image of taking candy from a child, then another of a priest denying his baser urges. Followed by an image of the Sinister Blade on her knees, surrounded by shaded figures. Blazing white on their cloaks was the symbol of Demacia.

Varus looked down at his hand in confusion. Was Pallas talking to _her_? The look in her eyes mirrored those he had seen years ago. Those who bore the weight of Pallas' whispers for brief periods of time before he returned to his post looked just as she did now. Mostly, she looked as if she was going to be violently ill. An alien presence in the mind tended to do that, he thought wryly.

His eyes shifted to meet Katarina's calculating look and noticed the small movements she was making with the cuffs behind her back, preparing to escape. He released the Little Light and drew his bow again, making the Noxian assassin freeze.

"I would not, Ms. Du Couteau. My arrows always find their marks" he commented idly, taking up Luxanna's casual countenance towards the woman. The false pleasantry felt leaden on his tongue.

Lux was still staring at him in a daze but at his words seemed to shake herself out of it. "Yes. Right. Well, that… That is a good idea. You're our prisoner now! We're taking you back to Demacia!" Lux declared.

The other two stared at her, the comment coming from nowhere as far as they were concerned. Pallas seemed to ripple in pleasure and Varus wondered if it was the spirit's advice that Lux was taking. He hoped not. He was a container for the beast, meant to be the only one who could hear its whispers. If Pallas could communicate through touch then it could also corrupt through touch.

Using her staff, Lux nudged Katarina forward. "You can walk ahead of us, I'd like to keep an eye on those cuffs"

The Du Couteau woman held her head high and proceeded forward. Lux smirked at that other woman's proud stature, marveling a little at Katarina's composure. As the trio moved forward Lux placed a hand on her shoulder. Those images hadn't been Varus. The man didn't have any magical capabilities. Which meant it had to have been the spirit he spoke of. Which meant that it wasn't just a source of power, it was alive and it had thoughts that were very logical. She glanced over at the creature walking next to her and shuddered. If Swain had succeeded she did not want to think of what he would have done with the spirit of Pallas. Maybe it was a good thing that such power was housed in a man with such simple desires.

She shook her head and focused back on Katarina. It wouldn't do to dwell on the mysterious Arrow of Retribution. Lux made a note to search Katarina when they stopped, the woman would have hidden tools and daggers on her person. If they wanted to survive the night then she would have to be very careful.

Varus watched the Little Light sigh while they were walking. He felt their thoughts were in accord, this was going to be a very long trip.

* * *

And then there were three! Any and all comments are greatly appreciated.


	8. Chapter 8

Sorry it's been so long. I've got a bad case of writers block, but here's what I've managed so far. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Varus laid down on their bedroll and feigned sleep.

'What did you say to the girl, Pallas?'

He knew that he could directly speak to the spirit through his mind. Usually he did not care enough about appearances and simply spoke out loud. Tonight he wanted some privacy.  
_Advice. Capture. Success.  
_

An image of the Little Light handing Katarina over to shadowy figures flickered through his awareness. The Demacian spymasters, he suspected. Hearing words of praise from their mouths and watching the young girl smile. A fierce and sudden feeling of pride, a sense of '_we did that' _pervaded his mind.  
It reminded him of watching Theshan string his first bow.  
Varus jerked in surprise. There was no falsehood, Pallas had told Lux to give Katarina to the spymasters. The second part was Pallas' own thoughts.

'You want to see her… happy?'

The presence in his mind went cold and quiet for a moment. A faint image of turning waves, a tumultuous journey, traced along the edge of his consciousness.

'You don't know, do you?'

A flicker of Lux's excited face, of the hand on their arm. The feeling of another person, after thousands of years without anything but the Pit, was almost too welcome.

He rolled over and scanned his surroundings. An urge that was not destructive or violent, it didn't make sense. Perhaps the spirit was trying to branch out, truly corrupt the Little Light. Varus became aware of green eyes staring at him. The Du Couteau woman always seemed able to find where his eyes were looking, even though he no longer had pupils. It was only when he met her eyes that a scarlet eyebrow raised.  
Pallas might not have wanted to kill the Sinister Blade, but Varus certainly did. Such a powerful lap dog to the Noxian empire. The assassin was loyal to an ideal, not a person. It made her all the more dangerous. Surely Luxanna knew that the redhead would eventually escape. If not now, then later when the spymasters took custody of her.  
If nothing else, the Summoners would be able to find her when she was next chosen to play. Katarina was a whirlwind of blades on the battlefield, extremely popular in the games. She may not have summoner spells to aid her out here, but she also didn't have magic inhibiting her attacks.

They could be dead as soon as they looked the wrong way.

* * *

Lux was ready at any moment cast a Light Binding on the redhead they had tied to the tree. It would only be another day or so before they reached the small town that had grown around the Institute of War. They would acquire a room there for a couple of days, long enough to contact the spymasters and organize handing over Katarina. It would be foolish to walk the Noxian into a safe house and release her into custody like that. Too easy for Katarina to slip away and gain information before retreating to the safety of the Institute.

What would they say? Would they tell Prince Jarvan of her success? Would anyone know?  
She sighed and glanced between her two charges. No, she doubted anyone would be told of either success. 'A spy is like a good servant. Nobody should notice when they do their jobs well'.  
It had been drilled into her as surely as any phrase from The Measured Thread. Though, no self respecting Demacian would recite from a spy manual as proudly as they would from their country's mandates.

She would be unable to use this adventure as a show of her usefulness to her parents. When Luxanna returned to Demacia it would not be to gratitude, but to more demands for an answer. Her answer.  
All at once, Lux felt ill and rose from her spot against the rocks. She moved quietly, hoping not to disturb Varus, and sat by his bedroll. She didn't know if he had nightmares, but she could use that as an excuse if he woke and questioned her change of location. She needed some kind of comfort, and he was the best should get right now. Besides, she could still see that Noxian filth from here.  
In fact, the red head was looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

Lux fought down a blush. Katarina had probably been watching her the entire time. Rather than look flustered she flipped her hair over her shoulder and subtly brandished her staff towards the other woman. Green eyes rolled dramatically at the Light of Demacia's fake bravado.

* * *

When Varus rose to take his shift he found a strange interaction going on.  
First, Luxanna was now next to him. Surely Pallas should have let him know, the spirit always did when someone neared. It was similar to a cat hissing at would be attention givers.  
Second, the two women seemed to be locked in some sort of staring contest. As his eyes went back and forth between the two he was sure that neither of them were blinking.  
In fact, speaking of animals, they both very much reminded him of Gnar at that moment. Small balls of fury preparing to turn into something much bigger and nastier if left unattended.

He hadn't seen such hostility since going to his mother in law for her blessing to marry his wife.

"Little Light"

His gravelly voice broke the atmosphere and Lux jumped to attention, pointing her staff in his face. He paid it little heed and rose from the bed roll, reaching past the staff to guide her towards sleep.

"You have done enough tonight, Ms. Crownguard. Please, rest. I will watch the Sinister Blade for now"

The young girl blinked and rubbed her eyes before glancing back over to Katarina. The other woman was also blinking now and had moved her attention to Varus.

"Alright, but keep both eyes on her. We can die out here", The serious tone of her sentence was lost under a large yawn. Soon she was huddled inside the sleeping roll, seeming to enjoy the warmth that still remained in it.

* * *

"Do you really think they'll let you leave if she gets you all the way to Demacia, abomination?"

The smooth voice turned him away from his Little Light, back to the predator they had shackled. He moved away from the resting girl, hoping to allow her rest.

"No one dares to defy the will of the Summoners, Ms. Du Couteau. Not even the great Prince Jarvan IV. They won't kill either of us",

He stated. He had seen the power of the Summoners. Even Pallas was respectful towards them, submitted to their will in the games. If such a powerful spirit would bow to the Summoners, Varus was sure no being would lightly trifle with them.

Her laugh was cold and short. No joy in that exhalation of air, merely a tired jest nestled in mockery.

"I never said they would kill you. By the Strength of Noxus! They will try to take whatever it is Swain wanted from you. Now that they know you have something Noxus wants, they will do whatever they can to get it first"

He had already considered that potential outcome. Was sure that Lux was ignorant of her superior's desires. Perhaps she had guessed, she was no fool, but it would not stop her from performing her duty towards Demacia.

"My mission is not over yet. I have not been given the answers I was promised. Until the killers of my village are dead, no one can truly take my life"

He was not so sure he believed those words anymore, now that he had felt Swain's magic start to rend Pallas from his body. No doubt the Demacians also had powerful mages who could try similar magics. However, he did believe that such an answer would irk his captive and for now he was content to do that.

He was right.

"You are a greater fool than I thought. You have not killed me and now you tell me you plan to walk into the welcoming arms of your enemies",

Her growl of disgust made him smirk. She would find no ally in him. No sympathetic ear. Were it not in Lux's best interests, he would be cleaning her blood from his hands after ripping her heart out.  
Pallas rippled. It was a pleasing image to them both.

* * *

I know not a lot happened this chapter. This is really just exploring interactions, not a very plot heavy piece. Soon they'll get to the Institute of War and then head on to Demacia.

Any comments are very welcome. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


End file.
